While walking out of class to protest may seem drastic to some, for senior Ciara Bibbs, it was necessary to stand against a cause she believes in fighting: gun violence. Chanting “no more silence, end gun violence,” Hagerty students made it known that changes should be made to keep students and all United States citizens safe.

“Even though we as high schoolers are young people, we are the inheritors of our world, and we must act to protect our futures. It is important that we reach out to our lawmakers and demand legislation implementing stronger requirements, demanding mandatory background checks, and more. We must protest and show that we are valuable members of society and deserve to be heard,” Bibbs said.

Students nationwide come to school not only worried about tests, but also preparing themselves for possible disaster. Even something as small as hearing a loud noise at lunch makes students fear the worst.

To make their voices heard, Hagerty students joined a national walkout in protest of gun violence on April 5, following a shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville that killed seven people, including three 9-year-old students.

Publicized by national organization Students Demand Action, the walkout was designed to bring awareness to gun violence and encouraged students to spread awareness to their peers, as well as make signs to demonstrate their thoughts and feelings at schools nationwide. Thousands of students from over 300 schools in 42 states, and Washington D.C., participated in the national school walkout.

“As students who attend public school, we need our voice to be heard. It’s not fair how kids are losing their lives every day, kids should go to school feeling safe not in danger,” sophomore Jada McGriff said.

Other Hagerty students felt similarly, as over 100 participated in the walkout.

“I was sent a screenshot of the flyer for the walkout and I reposted it to get more people aware of it on Wednesday and it gained traction. The walkout was completely led by students,” Bibbs said.

After the possibility of a walkout was brought to his attention, Principal Robert Frasca emailed teachers and parents alerting them to the potential walkout, saying that students could decide whether or not to partake in the walkout.

“Since it is important for students to make informed decisions about whether, when and how to participate as citizens in the political process, and the district’s focus is on quality education, students who make the choice to leave class will be informed that they will miss valuable learning time that may result in lost opportunity,” Frasca said.

According to math teacher Gretchen Knoblauch, the procedure of students walking out did not interrupt her classroom environment.

“I absolutely support students in their efforts to peacefully protest gun violence in our society and in our schools. If students feel strongly about an issue, they should speak up, and if they are eligible to vote for candidates who are like-minded, they should,” Knoblauch said.

During the walkout, students spoke on why gun violence is such a pressing issue.

“We took turns and all told our personal testimonies, first-hand experiences with gun violence, or why we are scared to go to school. It was really powerful,” Bibbs said. 

By walking out, students hope to influence lawmakers to understand the weight of their choices and how the broad accessibility of guns is affecting young Americans.

“Lawmakers need to see that children are dying and that their friends, family members, people they’ve never even met before mourn them. The way to end gun violence in schools and communities, is by not loosening gun laws but instead implementing stricter and more detailed requirements and legislation for gun laws,” Bibbs said.